In January this year, Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, committed the coalition government to the legislation, saying: ‘It is simply not right when academics and journalists are effectively bullied into silence by the prospect of costly legal battles with wealthy individuals and big businesses’.

Although the Bill is more like a codification than a radical reform, it contains a number of provisions which are of importance. This article looks at how some of its provisions would affect South African law. Read the rest of this entry »